How the Leathersellers’ Company helped Lydia

We supported Lydia in 2013/14 with a university grant of £4,000 per annum for 3 years, plus a further £4,000 in 2016/17 for her Masters.

In summer 2014/15, Lydia completed work experience at one of our supported charities, DEMAND (design and manufacture for disability).

She has just graduated as a Masters student from the University of Nottingham with a 2.1 in Product Design and Manufacture Engineering.

Her Major Project design was aimed at improving the music experience of deaf people. Through much research and communication with deaf music fans she came up with a 2-piece product.

The first device is worn around the neck and vibrates to the rhythm of the music. It has been scientifically proven that some deaf people ‘feel’ music through vibrations. (as Beethoven became deaf he would play the piano with a pencil in his teeth pressed up against the piano so he could ‘feel’ the music).

The second device is worn around the wrist (see picture below) and projects the lyrics of the music onto the forearm of the user. As a person’s hearing deteriorates, so does clarity of speech. Knowing the lyrics of music creates another depth and meaning.

In her final year, she became involved in a group called ENACTUS- ‘A community of student, academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better more sustainable world.’ Her team are currently in communication with a couple of NGO’s and professors in India with the aim of starting up an enterprise. The scheme, in short, involves a dynamo which is used on the back of a bike wheel in order to charge a battery which can then be used in the home. This is something which Nottingham University will continue to work on, but Lydia hopes to remain in the loop and potentially one day visit to India to help set up!
That is how the Leathersellers’ money can really make a difference.